Breech-laoding gun.



E.- BOURDELLES. BREEGH LOADING GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 17,*1913.

1,092,763. Patented Apr. 7, i914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

EMILE BOURDELLES, F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER &-CIE., 0F PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-'STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

Bannon-LOADING GUN.

speeicauon of Letters rate-nt.

. Patented Apr;`7, 19714.

Application iiled April 17, 1913.' Serial No. 761,844.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, EMILE BoURDELLEs, a

4 resident of Paris, France, and a citizen of is fully set forth in the following specifica-y France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Guns, which ving mass of thev gun, so that the great strength of modern steel 'cannot be turned to account in order to lighten the guns. In other words the gun proper might be made of less thickness while providing the necessary resistance to the pressures developed in lfiring, if it were not necessary to increase its mass with a view toI limiting the recoil by the known means that are available.

According to the present invention, the excess mass necessary for the employment oi" the known recoil means, instead of being distributed `over the barrel of the gun, is employed in the form of an auxiliary gun of different caliber, this second gun remaining constantly connected with the first in .order to increase the recoiling mass of the latter and being adaptedto be used in two positions that is togsay xed to the exterior or fitted inthe principal gun. The result of this arrangementv is that without altering the total recoiling mass in any way, it is possible, with the same` material, to fire projectiles of two diii'erent calibers according-as the auxiliary gunis arranged in one or other of the two positions mentioned above. `On the one hand it is thus possible to profit by the stren h of modern steels so as to 1i hten each of t 'e guns and on the other han two guns are unitedupon one and the same carriage and either of thesel guns can be used according to requirements and fighting conditions, this representing an important economy in cost of construction and in personnel. It will of coursebe understood that the details of the means rendering it possible to connect and unite the principal gun with the auxiliary gun (which are always 4connected for the recoil)v may varyat will.

In order that the said invention may beclearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which .Figure'l is a longitudinal sectional elevat1on showing the united guns in the position that they occupy when using the gun of larger- .caliber. Figs. 2 and 3 are corresponding cross sections on the lines A-A vand B-B respectively of Fig. 1.] Fig. 4 is av sectional -elevation showing the united guns in the position that they occupy Iwhen uslng the gun of smaller caliber. Fig. 5 shows in front elevation and inside elevation, respectively, a protecting ring for lthe threads in the muzzle of the gun.

In the example illustrated,the principal I gun a of medium caliber is made of high resistance steel so that its'thickness and mass can be reduced. The excess masslnecessary for the operation of the recoil brake is utilized, in accordance with the present invention for the construction of the auxiliary gun, b of smaller caliber, also made of high resistance steel. The two guns are assembled in'such a manner as to recoil together and they are provided with means which permit of eiecting this assemblage rapidly for firing at will projectiles of either caliber.

In the example illustrated, the gun a of larger caliber comprises external retaining or fixing members for the gun, b. Thus at theffnront of the gun a, in proximity to its muzzle a collar d with internal interrupted threads a3 may be arranged, d2 representing the grooves between the threads. The auxiliary gun is provided with corresponding in.- terrupted threads b2 separated by grooves t. At the rear, asimilar xing device may be employed it is, however, suicient to prosired to utilize the-barrel' b it is only necesi saryto angularly 'displace this barrel and then to draw it forward.' The barrel a is pro- 4vide a retaininggnose. cvupon a projectionV brakes and so forth may be of any Suitable` construct-ion. T he barrel b may, if desired, be centered at the rear extremity or at some suitable point of the chamber of the gun a,

by means of a detachable ring f. The tubes a and b being assembled in the position indicated in Fig. 4 it will readily be understood that they recoil together when tiring projectiles of small caliber. The system of united guns can be regarded as constituting a small caliber gun'equal in weightto guns as hitherto constructed andv furnishing the additional facilit of firing projectiles of larger caliber; or inversely a medium caliber gun is obtained, the weight ofwhicli is equal to that of the usual guns ofthe same caliber, but affording the possibility of tiring projectiles of small caliber. The threads a for fixing the barrel b in the gun a may be protected from the erosion of the gases during the tiring of project-iles of the larger caliber, that is to say when the guns are arranged as shown in Fig. l; this protection may be afforded by a sleeve k represented separately in front elevation and in side elevation in Fig. 5 and provided externally with interrupted threadsl or collars. This sleeve is of the same length as the extension g.

Although for practical purposes it is unnecessary to consider the connection of more than two guns of different caliber, it is obvious that the invention described above is also applicable to a combination of more than two guns, and that in order to unite guns of three different calibers, for example, it would only be necessary to provide additionally upon the barrel a, fixing members for a gun of smaller vcaliber than that of the gun b.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. -In breech loading ordnance adapted for use with recoil mechanism, the combination of a primary gun and a secondary gun permanently associated therewith, the metal of which furnishes the additional mass necessary or operating the recoil mechanism when the principal gun is fired, said second` ary gun ybeing adapted to fit the bore of the primary gun for firing smaller projectiles.

2. In ordnance adapted for use with recoil mechanism, the combination of a primary gun and a secondary gun of diii'erent diameter permanently associated therewith, the metal of which furnishes the additional mass necessary for operating the recoil mechanism when the principal gun is fired..v4

3. In a breech loading gun adapted for use with recoil mechanism, the combination of a primary gun having a threaded muzzle and a secondary gun of different diameter permanently associated therewith, the metal of which furnishes the additional mass necessary for operating the recoil mechanism when the principal gun is tired, and means for securing said guns together comprising on the principal `fun a threaded collar and a retaining nose and on the secondary gun a threaded section adapted to engage either the threads of sa'i'd collar or said threaded muzzle.

4. In combination, a gun having a muzzle provided with internal screw threads, a second gun adapted to fit the bore of the firstnamed gun and having external threads to engage those of said muzzle, said guns being permanently associated for the purpose described, and a ring for shielding the muzzle threads on the first-named gun when the latter is used for tiring.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

` EMILE BOURDELLES. lVitnesses HENRI MoNIN, HANsoN C. Coxnl 

